Wednesday, 29 December 2010

A strong theme emerged after an inspirational and enlightening session with a dear friend and client on Christmas Eve. The theme was surrender, and it seemed clear that there is a need for all of us to surrender to the flow of life much more.

This is not about giving up or feeling like a victim, but it is more about swimming with the current rather than against it. Often our minds and our hearts are in conflict about the decisions, choices and options available to us. We can become paralysed in indecision and fear if we do not step back (surrender) to regain our perspectives.

It seems that part of the condition of being human is an innate need to understand and to search for answers, patterns and solutions. Perhaps we are scared of the unknown, of the chaos that surrounds us? Perhaps we just need and want everything to make perfect sense.

Yet, we know that we cannot possibly make sense of everything, we cannot understand the true depth and power of the Universe. Whilst each of us contain the Universe within; at the same time, we are just a tiny cluster of atoms amongst infinity.

Our struggle to understand, to know, to control can leave us fighting upstream, battling the current. If we can surrender more to the process, we will begin to realise that the key to inner knowing is in going with the flow. Of course, we will always have moments of battling upstream and we will always have times of self-doubt, but if we can trust the process of life more, we will see that, on the whole, we can travel with the current and the current will take us to where we need to go.

This is, in many ways, about having faith and trust. It is about bypassing our inner critics and allowing ourselves to live up to our full potential. It is also about, not becoming paralysed in indecision, and allowing stagnancy and decay to develop on all levels of our Being through inaction or avoidance.

Surrendering to the flow is about life enrichment, personal empowerment, inspiration and joy. It is about taking the knocks with the smooth. Surrendering is about overcoming challenges and maintaining balance with a need to stop doubting and undermining ourselves.

As we step into 2011, there is a need now to ‘go with the flow’, to re-connect to the core of our Beings and to ‘touch’ the rainbow within. The coming year is a time for joy, abundance, manifestation and freedom. All of these are within our reach now, it is all a matter of perspective and belief...

Saturday, 25 December 2010

I always like to take a little time out to write over Christmas. I also like to take the time to send out healing to one and all (humans, animals, plants, the seas, the earth, the heavens etc).

In many ways, the Christmas celebrated today by so many is a commercial and physical over-indulgence. The Christmas spirit seems more about indulgence in spirit of the alcoholic kind than it does a spiritual celebration.

I am not Christian, and for me the Winter Solstice holds more personal and spiritual significance. Yet most of the celebrations over Christmas come from ‘pagan’ solstice celebrations from the Christmas Tree, the Yule log, feasts and present giving. It has always been a time of coming together to celebrate life and to feel blessed for all we have. I therefore have no qualms about getting together with family and friends over the Christmas period.

I also like to spend time alone in reflection and contemplation for my path ahead. It is a time of deep soul-searching and self-honesty. It is a time to re-prioritise and to re-focus on dreams and goals.

2011 looks set to be another year of cosmic highs and lows, twists and turns. As the roller coaster continues through to 2012 and beyond, there is a sense of a ‘quickening’ of subtle (and not so subtle) shifts within and around us.

The coming year seems to be a time of liberation, manifestation and peace. They all fit together like three parts of an interlinked and entwined puzzle. We need all three for balance, and one in excess can lead to an imbalance in the other two. So, it is important that we strive for balance and harmony in all aspects of our lives.

We can also expect a need to stop clinging onto the Light, and instead know that true balance comes from Dark and Light. One is not bad and the other good, they are both of equal importance in our lives. To know Darkness is to see Truth.

The Light is not the sole source of the Divine, for we live in a polarised Universe. With day comes night, with Yin comes Yang, with dark comes light, with love comes pain. In many ways, as the core of the Universe contains ‘All there is’ it must therefore, by a process of deduction, be a neutral force. So to strive for a balance of Dark and Light is to seek out accord and harmony.

There is a strong sense that each of us is stepping back into the driving seats of our lives now. Stepping back into the power and Truth is empowering and enlightening, and whilst a little daunting, will ultimately help us to confidently stroll along the path ahead...

More on this soon!

So, my festive wish as always:

All I want for Christmas is for everyone's hearts to be filled with love and joy. I simply ask that we all come together to celebrate the true Spirit of Christmas - love.

Tuesday, 14 December 2010

I was channel hopping the other night, and I caught a scene from Ugly Betty. It was about Betty’s braces, but it applies to just about anything in life that challenges us.

Betty was talking about finally removing her braces and how it will affect her life: ‘What if nothing changes? Then I’ll have nothing to blame’.

Her sister replied: ‘You are who you are, the sooner you accept that, the happier you will be’.

Simple as that.

Its’ strange how just a few words from a seemingly innocuous TV programme could have such a big impact.

We all have challenges in life; some we can overcome, but some we have to endure. Yet it is how we choose to see these challenges that help determine our lives. We can give up and walk away in defeat (nothing wrong with this at all), or we can battle on, determined to succeed against all the odds (a tiring, but rewarding experience, if we reach the finish line).

Yet, these words resonate at a much deeper level. The planets have been pushing each of us towards more personal accountability and responsibility in life. We have been asked by the Cosmos to take control of our lives, to make difficult choices and to honour our gifts.

Of course, when we have challenges in life, so many of us do what Betty did; we blame the challenge or the issue. Looking beyond this though, it seems clear that we need to stop blaming anyone or anything, and instead choose to re-take our personal power and begin to truly accept ourselves as we are (warts and all – figuratively speaking!).

Most of us have aspects of our Selves that we are not happy with, yet does that one aspect truly shape the whole of our lives? When we move to a place beyond logic, we can begin to see that nothing should prevent us from Being true to our Selves.

Coming towards the end of a cosmically spectacular and busy year, it seems clear that the need to accept ourselves has reached such a deep level that it is even flowing through on the TV!

It is time now to honour ourselves, to let go of blame, to let go of shame and to love ourselves unconditionally. Life does not always go to plan, but we need to accept the challenges with the smoother times, and we need to stop pinning our hopes on fixing that ‘one thing’ in life that is stopping us from being our Selves.

Instead we need to accept (this is not the same as giving up!) and to realise that we do not have to wait until everything in our lives is ‘fixed’ or hunky-dory, but we can make that decision to start living immediately. Indeed if we do choose to wait, then it is likely to be a very long wait, as there is always something on our personal ‘fix lists’. Life is for living, not for hanging about thinking about living when the grass finally decides to get greener on the other side.

So, get out that grass feed, and feed the grass under your feet now! Embrace life and honour your Self.

If you decide to wait and still nothing changes, then maybe there is nothing to blame after all, maybe there is something within you stopping you or holding you back? So, why waste time waiting about? Why not face up to this now, and get the inevitable tough personal questioning over and done with?!

Burying one’s head in the sand can only work for so long, if we truly want to honour and accept ourselves; then there is no time like the present...

Monday, 13 December 2010

If we have a clear sky tonight, check out the Geminid Meteor Shower. The plethora of shooting stars will bring magic to us all! The meteors will peak over the UK at about 11am Tuesday, but in dark skies, meteors may be seen tonight or tomorrow night...

Friday, 10 December 2010

Little Mercury moves retrograde today, so we once again end the year with this little planet spinning backwards creating all sorts of thoughts and ideas within each of us. Like the Golden Snitch in Harry Potter’s Quidditch (thanks Jacqueline!), Mercury is a speedy little fellow, and so his influence can sometimes be so fleeting, that we miss him and fail to realise his importance.

Mercury gives each of us an opportunity to focus on our thoughts, and in particular to explore how we think. It is all too natural for most of us to think in terms of negatives - ‘I can’t’, ‘yeah, but’, ‘life is hard’, ‘nothing is easy’, ‘I am fat/skinny/poor’ etc.

The irony is that these thoughts of lack create more of the same in our lives. Like attracts like, so by thinking in a negative or restrictive way, we create that dynamic in our lives and keep it there. So, in some ways this is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Of course, changing the thinking to something more positive is not always that easy. When life is hard, it can be hard to see above the parapet and even contemplate a thought process that can start to change the dynamic. Yet, until we start to think more creatively, it is often the case that we cannot change the dynamic.

So, in some ways, we are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea...

Retrograde phases of any planet internalises its energy; and by taking it within we can start to understand ourselves better. We have had the opportunity this year to be true to ourselves, and to start thinking in terms of abundance, joy, love and harmony.

Mercury wants us to find fulfilment from within – to think about our lives, the world, and the way in which we live. Mercury wants us to see that ‘having it all’, and keeping up with consumerist trends is really not that fulfilling. Buying a new TV just because it’s the latest version, even when the old one is perfectly functional does not give us lasting joy. That joy comes from within, and it is now up to each of us to find it, experience it and to spread the word.

Mercury Retrograde can cause chaos with communications, contracts and other administrative issues – but try not to get too wrapped up in these – try to see the bigger picture instead. In any challenge or obstacle, look for a positive. Find things to be grateful for everyday. Very often that delay happens for a reason, it makes us stop or pause, re-think or reconsider our choices. So, welcome Mercury, embrace his blessing.

Of course, Mercury goes retrograde a lot, so we should all be used to the little games that he plays, yet at the same time we are often thrown into a state of disarray when things don’t go quite as planned. So, calm down, and breathe deeply.

Mercury looks set to give each of us a much needed kick up the posterior to stop thinking in negative ways. He wants us to see the power that such thinking has in our lives. It is time to start thinking positively and creatively to affect change in our lives.

At the same time, there is a need to live consciously, to see the bigger picture. It is the perfect time to de-clutter the mind (space is good, even in the mind!!). We need to be quiet, to still the mind and allow the really important thoughts to float up to the surface for us to work with. It is time to let all that mental flotsam and jetsam go, and to focus on what’s truly important now...

There is a strong need to be both pragmatic and philosophical over the next few weeks. Maybe, just maybe Mercury is being our best friend by causing well-timed delays to allow us a little more thinking time?

So, try to see the positive. And by taking a more philosophical approach to obstacles and hiccups, hopefully we can each reach the end of this retrograde phase stronger than ever before.

Mercury moves direct on the 30th December, just in time to utilise all of this positive thinking and make some powerful affirmations for the New Year...

Monday, 6 December 2010

Today (the 6th December) magnificent Uranus moves direct. Uranus has been in a cosmic clinch with Jupiter for much of the summer and autumn, and Uranus moving direct is the next big step on the cosmic calendar.

Uranus is the freedom seeking rebel fighting for individuality and Truth. He is the lightning strike that breaks down barriers, and the innovator bringing new ideas and thought forms into use. He is the ruler of intuition, and helps us to become more interconnected with the Universal energies. Uranus reflects not only our innate human longing to know where we are going and why, but also our need to feel part of something bigger.

Uranus is always forward thinking, never looking back, this is why Uranus is the rebel and the revolutionary – forcing change, forcing new ideas and changing traditions.

Of course, many people find it so hard to freely express their Uranian nature, as to do so, requires a great degree of detachment from taking a personal perspective. To be Uranian is to adopt a more collective or Universal perspective and this is quite alien to most people; so many individuals prefer to keep their heads down and their individuality locked away.

For those of us that do manage to achieve a more ‘detached’ and individual approach to life then we get to see the whole picture, warts and all. Not everyone wants to even acknowledge that...!

In general though, Uranus always finds a way to seep into our lives, so ignoring this electric and eclectic bundle of energy will serve little purpose. Change will occur – it might be hard, it might be challenging, but in order to grow and develop we need to embrace Uranus and the qualities that he brings. It is time now for change...

Over the past few months, each of us have been aware of the subtle changes going on within. These have been connected to us being more aware of our true Selves. Uranus wants us to be unique, special and individual – because we are. When we can truly be our Selves, we can embrace the other Uranian qualities and allow our gifts and potential to truly flow.

On moving Direct, Uranus wants each of us to let our true colour and individuality shine. It is important to acknowledge our gifts and Truth, and to not be afraid to step out from the shadows for all to see.

After a summer and autumn full of challenges (or opportunities!), it is important to remember that Uranus is the planet of infinite possibilities, one person can create a chain reaction of change, one person can set in motion a new thought or idea that can literally send shock waves of new thought or changed behaviour around the world.

Such shock waves are happening now. New thoughts, beliefs and insights are reaching out far and wide, and whilst many may not resonate, there is undeniably a calling towards more integration, individuality and freedom now.

So for those of us who can be free, feel blessed for this and grab your individuality with both hands. Embrace Truth and love your uniqueness. As Shakespeare once wrote ‘The Truth Will Out’ (The Merchant of Venice)

It is time to take that leap of faith...2011 looks set to be a year of magic, manifestation and abundance on so many levels...

Thursday, 18 November 2010

Jupiter’s role in retrograde over recent months has taken our attention within and turned our focus to the abundance that resides there. We have each had the opportunity to explore our full potential and to realise just how much we do have in life. We have been asked to give gratitude and thanks for what we have, and made to realise that true abundance lies within. When we live an enriched and full life, we feel complete. Money helps obviously, but it is not the be all and end all.

It has been a challenging summer, and a time where confusion has reigned supreme! On one hand there has been a strong surge of forwards moving energy seeking action and movement in life, but on the other hand, life has felt like walking through treacle, and the going has been wearing and tough.

We have had time to celebrate the abundance in our lives and to feel truly blessed by this. This summer was a time to seek enrichment and the attainment of joy; placing our focus on the positive to create an ever growing flow of positivity and abundance in our lives.

Jupiter has helped us to tune in to our inner resources of strength and self-belief, to bring our dreams alive and to see just how much abundance we have. The more we have focused on this, the richer we have become emotionally, spiritually, physically and psychologically...

Jupiter challenged us to go within, to let go of our fears, to find our inner strength, to listen to Spirit and to follow our destiny. Each of us has been asked to find our centre, and to tap into that vast inner well of love, compassion and strength.

Jupiter asked us not to be afraid to let the world see the core of who we are, and to realise that we are all here for a reason. That reason is already becoming clearer, and we will soon be asked to step into the unknown; into infinity and beyond, to realise our full potential. There is a choice though; the alternative is to stay put, to not take that risk, to avoid jumping into the spiritual watery depths of the unknown feet first.

The unknown is scary, and we need to have faith and self-belief to trust that we will be taken care of. There are, sadly no guarantees, but when in a place of trust and Truth, we can face challenges easier and we can deal with setbacks easier. When in a place of trust and Truth we can go with the flow and gain a clearer perspective allowing each of us to make the most of the opportunities that life presents us.

Jupiter moving direct brings all we have learnt into the physical, making this a time of manifestation, intention and evolution. The more centred we can remain within and the more we can have faith and self-belief, the more we can manifest joy, abundance and love in our lives and in the lives of others.

There is a strong theme now of honouring ourselves and believing that when we follow our true paths in life that our needs will be taken care of. So many healers, spiritual workers and other enlightened souls are kept firmly in the mundane through the need of making ends meet or poverty consciousness, that the flow of abundance, joy and positivity available to us becomes restricted. It is now time to realise that through belief and intent it is possible to live freely and in accordance with our soul’s desires.

This is best summed up by one of my favourite quotes by Rumi ‘When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.’ It is time now to live and breathe from our souls, and to follow our destinies. Not an easy path, but an important one. For the more we ignore the calling of our soul’s, the more disconnected we become from Source. This ironically, takes us even further away from our soul’s essence. It is time now to become One with all aspects of our Beings and to grab a boat and set sail on that river Rumi mentions that is moving within you. This is the route to pure joy.

It is important to know that we are all infinite potential, and it might help once again to start re-affirming this on a regular basis (and truly believing it).

Tuesday, 16 November 2010

Venus moves direct on the 18th November. In retrograde, Venus (the Light of Beauty) moved her focus to within, and her qualities became internalised. So, the past few weeks have been a time to go within to honour and love our own beauty.

In many ways, Venus moving direct correlates with a need for each of us to honour ourselves more and to achieve a sense of balance in all areas of our lives. Venus Direct asks each of us to believe in ourselves, to stand up for ourselves and to love ourselves unconditionally. It is only once we truly love ourselves that we can love others freely and without condition.

This is an extra special day as mighty Jupiter also moves direct on the 18th (more on this soon), but we can expect to feel a huge surge of power and energy which will begin moving our lives forwards once again with passion, creativity and vigour.

As mentioned before, Venus’s celestial dance around the Sun weaves threads of learning, insight, self-discovery and a good smattering of challenges as well. As planet of love, she may seem all pink, soft and fluffy, and in many ways she is. However, Venus’s power goes much deeper than this, and she takes us to that place where we stand naked and exposed (not necessarily literally!) with our vulnerabilities and imperfections on display for all to see. Venus represents an inner strength to love ourselves and one another despite such imperfections. She asks us to see the perfection and joy in imperfection.

As she moves direct, it is a time to think about the ways in which each of us can become more whole and complete in our Selves. We may need to change our inner dialogues and we may need to re-think our lifestyles; but one thing is for sure, Venus wants us to freely accept ourselves, to love ourselves and to honour the beauty within, and without.

Mahatma Ghandi once said ‘You must be the change you want to see in the world’. That starts within, and Venus is giving us an opportunity to ‘be the change’ now...

Thursday, 11 November 2010

The past few months have been a somewhat bumpy and tumultuous ride into a long dark night of the soul. Uncertainty and discombobulation has reigned, and many of us have felt lost in the dark without a compass, map or GPS to guide us.

Yet, over the coming weeks, like a brilliant angel coming down to bless us, a new light is beginning to shine on each of us, lighting up our paths ahead with clarity and vision.

Whilst this new wave of beautiful light comes through, it is important to honour the challenges each of us has faced recently and to tap into the well of strength deep within us to realise that some important lessons have been learned...

We must face and accept the consequences of all of our decisions, even if that decision is not to decide. The only way we can truly be free is to be responsible for our own lives; for the choices we make, for our own capability to love ourselves and for our ability to honour our destiny.

In addition, there is no point in having regrets, for these only take away more energy from our Beings. We need to accept, surrender to the Universe, and to live in the moment. Focusing on the past or the future takes us away from the present and diminishes our wholeness.

The past few months have raised many deep and profound questions about life, the universe and our places within it. We all search for answers in life. We all try to seek out solutions and patterns, but why? What is the motivation? Are we so scared of the unknowable chaos that we need to make sense of everything? Should we not just accept that we cannot know everything; and that by embracing the unknowable chaos, we can ultimately bring calmness, peace and serenity into our lives?

Sometimes, the answers lie not in trying to seek out solutions, but they lie in us changing the question! Sometimes, it is simply our perspective that needs to shift in order to find clarity. And sometimes, we need to realise we are banging our heads against a brick wall and so we need to walk away towards something new...

It is time now for each of us to create our own stories, to be creative. We need to take control and to regain our sense of perspective in life. We need to be clear about the direction in life we are taking and the reasons we are taking it. And we need to embrace our lives, choices and gifts.

It is also time for each of us to make peace with the person we see staring back at us in the mirror. We need to stop the inner critic and allow peace and love to reign within...

Sunday, 7 November 2010

Today (7th November) Neptune moves direct, and the stillness and quiet that Neptune has been asking each of us to search for within shifts focus as we start to seek this stillness in all aspects of our lives.

Whilst the past few months have been challenging for so many of us, if we can allow ourselves to Be ‘at One’ with this Neptunian serenity, then all aspects of our lives move into sharper focus, and we are far less affected by the stormy seas around us. In this space, we can find great strength, resolve and determination; and somehow life starts to look more manageable, more joyful and more peaceful.

You may recall that Neptune and Chiron together give each of us the gift of tranquillity, and if we immerse ourselves within this (even for a few minutes a day to begin with), inspiration and creativity start to flow as we feel ‘at One’ with the Divine, with compassion and with love. So, whilst we need to continue to dwell in this inner tranquillity in order to gain a sense of direction, purpose and vision (for this is the place where true abundance manifests, where we connect to our inner source of power and wisdom to guide and protect us), we also need to start thinking about our outer plans, goals and dreams now.

Now we are beginning to be truly ‘at One’ with this powerful force within, we can allow our inner serenity and compassion to flow freely (for it is an infinite supply) to bring more love, understanding and joy to ourselves, one another and to the world.

I wrote the following words in the early summer, and they are just as poignant for today...

...’Deep within you is a deep pool of stillness, tranquillity and inspiration. When you tap into this energy, you fill up with creativity and vision, and gain a true sense of direction in your life. This is the place where dreams come true, and staying in tune with this immense source of inner power will help to guide you towards success and abundance in your life. Whilst in this space, you can assess your thoughts and inner dialogue, and transform them into something wholly positive and inspirational. When you believe in yourself, then there truly is no stopping you’.

Neptune direct, is asking each of us to believe now; and to use that belief to transform our lives and the lives of others. This is a time of great empowerment and deep understanding; and it is a time to allow our uniqueness and gifts to flow...

Friday, 5 November 2010

Today, the 5th November, Chiron moves direct. Over the past few months Chiron has been locked in an intense and profound cosmic dance with Neptune (moving direct on the 7th). This powerful combination of energies has proved deeply challenging for so many of us.

Each of us has been on something of a spiritual revolution over the summer. We have seen the need to go within in order to find our own personal and unique spiritual path. At the same time, we have been guided to develop our own connection to the Divine; a connection that both nourishes and nurtures us, and one that allows us to develop our own understanding of holistic spirituality.

This is a time to find our own paths, and it is a powerful time to embrace the uniqueness of our paths and to ‘go it alone’. This does not mean that we cannot travel with others along the way, but it does suggest a time to stop being spoon fed spirituality and to start taking our own lead.

Chiron has been intense and difficult this past few months. The main reason is his knack of bringing up to the surface those deep memories which carry pain or trauma. He does not do this for fun, but he asks that we find strength from this pain, to let go of the suffering and to transmute it into compassion and love. This compassion enables true healing, and inspires each of us to help others, animals, plants, trees, the earth, spirits etc etc.

On moving direct, the need to facilitate healing looks set to become stronger and stronger as our compassion gains momentum. We are facing a challenging time globally, but the more we can transmute the suffering into love, the more we can affect the collective consciousness and turn the world towards harmony, unity and peace.

On a personal level, Chiron wants each of us to honour the challenges and pain we have faced, and to finally set ourselves free from the chains that this has bound us with. This is not about forgetting, it is not even really about forgiving, but it is about not allowing the pain and trauma to distort our present and future to the extent that we cannot breathe freely. It is time to stop giving the pain power, and to take it back for ourselves. We can use it for so much good.

Chiron should not simply be about pain, suffering and being a victim; for Chiron is strength, power and compassion. Each of us has a choice between these now...

Friday, 22 October 2010

Speaking with a wise old friend about the trials, tribulations and challenges if life, he said that his spiritual teacher once told him:

‘If you don’t learn to look down, you can’t fall’.

I pondered on these words for a while and realised that looking down is really about having doubts or ‘wobbles’ about our choices and decisions. For those who truly believe and keep their focus high, even if they fall, they simply bounce back up again. Of course, never looking down can make us unrealistic and ungrounded, but this goes beyond the physical to something far more spiritual and esoteric...

It seems though that the art of ‘looking down’ comes with having to face obstacles and challenges in life. Of course, once we have learnt to ‘look down’, it is hard to forget about doing it all of the time – we cannot ‘unlearn’ it after all. Yet, there must be a way to transform our lives and to find that ‘platform’?

When we are struggling in life, it is hard to take off, to fly, without a platform. With a platform, we can take a running leap and fly high. Success attracts success, and so flying becomes easier. However, when we are stuck knee deep in mud, taking off becomes harder and harder, and we lose hope, faith and the belief in ourselves. So we need an opportunity to present itself to help hook us out of the mud, to dry us off and to give us a launch pad.

Of course, this creates something of a quandary, for it is up to each of us as individuals to make opportunities happen and to believe in ourselves and our paths enough to make our dreams a reality. Yet how can we do this when stuck knee deep in the quagmire of life? Surely we cannot expect someone to come and rescue us? The answer to that last question is both yes and no, for the rescuer has to be ourselves.

So, the key comes through the power of intent. When we truly have faith and believe that life can change; and that our lives can be brilliant, we start to call those qualities to us. It is not a quick process, and for most, it will not happen overnight, and for some it may never happen. But to have faith and believe is to acknowledge that we can grow, evolve and develop as individuals. To have faith is also to acknowledge that we continue to have hopes and dreams, and to have faith also confirms that we are not content to stay stuck in the mud, but we all have the need to fly...

Sunday, 17 October 2010

Now is the time to learn to fly. Life is not simply about finding a way through the unknown (the void); it is not about getting to the other side unscathed and in one piece. It is about jumping into the unknown feet first, without hesitation; knowing that if we believe, we can ‘fly’; and we can do anything.

Life in many ways is about service to a higher power – helping, healing and inspiring. Yet we must not forget that we are all One – therefore serving the higher power is also serving ourselves. We must therefore honour ourselves and each other.

We are all One with the Universe; and with this knowledge, comes the realisation that anything IS possible. The rules are simple: intend it, believe it and it will be so. There is no room for doubt. The power of intent is a wonderful thing.

This is not about greed, power or the material, yet intent is often used for these. This is about the inner world and the abundance that we all have within.

The feelings of oneness and of losing the Self through surrendering into the sea of consciousness, helps each of us to become whole. From this wholeness comes stillness, from the stillness comes joy.

So, contentment and joy come from within that stillness, and when we are truly content in the moment, feelings of lack and longing dissipate; and instead feelings of true wealth flood through. It is in those moments that we can feel truly inspired, motivated and empowered. In these moments, we feel connected to our paths of destiny, and the path ahead is clear and well lit.

Monday, 11 October 2010

On the 8th October, Venus moved into retrograde in Scorpio, and will remain this way until the 18th November. In retrograde, Venus (the Light of Beauty) moves her focus to within, and her qualities become internalised. Venus is best known for her beauty, and therefore whilst in retrograde, it is always time to go within to honour our own beauty.

Venus’s celestial dance around the Sun weaves threads of learning, insight, self-discovery and challenges. How many of us, look in the mirror and pay ourselves compliments? It is easier to denigrate, to discount our beauty. There is a famous saying that beauty is only skin deep, well physical beauty maybe, but beauty comes in different shapes and sizes. After all who defines what true physical beauty is, the catwalk size zero models, or the glowing earth mother with lumps, bumps and stretch marks?

The key with Venus Retrograde is to see beyond the stereotypes, and to see the things about ourselves that are truly beautiful. Going deeper, we can look into our souls (the eyes are the windows to the soul after all), and see the beauty within. We need to truly love ourselves - every single bit from the cellulite to the grey hairs.

It all comes down to how we think – we need to think positively in order to create positives in our lives. Like attracts like, so any negative thoughts we have only create more negativity. It is of course hard to love excess weight, scars, stretch marks and other signs of wear and tear that our bodies experience, but even if we take small steps towards accepting ourselves, and changing our own inner dialogue to something much more nurturing and loving, then we are likely to see changes in the world around us as well.

Many of us take steps to address those aspects of ourselves that we struggle with from plastic surgery, to weight loss surgery and extreme dieting. My own journey has made me realise that regardless of what choices I make to feel happier about my body; until I truly learnt to love myself (regardless of appearance etc), I would never truly feel happy; and there would always be something else that I needed to ‘tweak’ or address. Whilst this does not mean that I disagree with surgery (for that would make me a hypocrite!), it does mean that it needs to happen for the right reasons. No amount of surgery can help us to love ourselves more...

So, truly loving ourselves is a profoundly important step on the path to honouring the beauty within...

We are in a time of accelerated spiritual growth and learning, of stepping into a higher consciousness. It is a time for Cosmic Truths, a time to Dance with the Universe in harmony, as one. It stands to reason then, that until we can be nice to ourselves, how can we truly step onto this path and embrace one another without judgement or ego. It is a challenging time, but it is also a time to finally step out of the shadows and shine…

Remember how important it is to have faith in ourselves and our dreams, and to have the courage to journey into the unknown without guarantees. This is the key to embracing life. A lack of faith in ourselves or in life means that we only cling on to what we know rather than open the doors to the possibilities of what might be. Very often in life our greatest failure is in aiming too low, so we need to work with Venus to love ourselves, to be open to the idea that we truly are a special, gifted, beautiful, talented individual – because we are!

So remember, love yourself, love your soul, and love everything about who you are. Weave a web of love within you and around you – you owe it to yourself after all…

Sunday, 10 October 2010

Today is the 10th day of the 10th month of the 10th year of the new millennium.

Surfing the internet, today is a day for global prayers, a day for ‘recording the human experience’, a day for ‘doing’, a day for reducing global carbon emissions, a day for celebration and a day for a new wave of DNA programming to begin. So, it seems to be a day to suit all, and on the whole a day with a very positive focus indeed.

Many are celebrating today as a deeply significant day of cosmic shift and movement towards a new vibration or level of awareness. Many group meditations and ‘reprogramming’ workshops are occurring, as individuals feel the need to mark this day. I am, of course, open to this possibility (although I believe that if we are being reprogrammed, we will be just by being open to the process). But for me, with the sun shining and the energy high, today is a day for celebrating all that I have in life.

My life may not be perfect, but I have all I need. So for me, today is simple, it is a day for celebrating life, love and abundance. It is also a day for praying for these things for others too...

Friday, 8 October 2010

Apologies for the lack of posts recently. Thanks so much to all of you who have emailed me to check I am ok! Rest assured, I am ok, simply very busy juggling moving home with a few other big things in my life. The good news is that I am back to writing, so watch this space over the next couple of days...

Thursday, 23 September 2010

Today is the Autumn Equinox; marking the day when the Sun enters Libra. At the Equinox, day and night are of equal length representing balance. Also today, we have a Full Moon in Aries making this year’s Equinox considerably more potent than usual.

Balance remains the focus, but each of us has been connected to an intensified wave of cosmic energies over the past few months creating restlessness and trepidation connected to our paths ahead. Whilst we may be aware of the increased intensity of the energies about and within us, at the same time we feel unable to channel it into anything specific or particularly useful – it is just building up and causing stress.

It is therefore a confusing time; a time where struggling to gain clarity and direction will only lead to more tiredness and confusion. It seems to be a time to go with the flow for a while, and to focus on the balance within. Taking time out for reflection, contemplation and inner healing will help each of us to struggle less and to glide more easily through life.

There is also a strong sense of awakening today, a sense that whilst there is confusion and uncertainty, there is a slowly emerging feeling that our paths will soon be revealed. We need to have faith, trust and belief that this clarity will come. So, during this current time, we need to focus on the essentials in life and keep our heads above water whilst all about us seem to be struggling against the current.

So, for now try to keep the faith that all will be well and that – for now at least – take a deep breath, stop fighting the current and believe that clarity, balance and harmony is coming...

Tuesday, 14 September 2010

Powerful Pluto moves direct today, and this is likely to come as a welcome relief to many of us as this remote little powerhouse has been wreaking havoc in our lives over the past few months. He has been pressing our buttons, making us face our own inner demons, pushing us towards letting go of those things (thoughts, patterns, attitudes, ideas, people and situations) that no longer serve us, and to resolve those issues that have remained unresolved within us for some time.

Pluto’s presence has weighed heavy on the shoulders of many of us trying to move our lives forwards or trying to gain a sense of clarity or direction. Whilst in Retrograde, the energy ray of Pluto has become more intense and concentrated, and his focus has been turned within – shining a light on our inner worlds.

Pluto is a force who cannot and will not be ignored, he always finds a way for each of us to take notice and he will continue to chip away at our resistance until we start to take notice and act. If we continue to ignore his presence, he gets stronger and more wilful until he makes us stop and take notice...

Pluto can seem cold and harsh, yet unless we let go in our lives, we cannot embrace the new. Without endings there cannot be beginnings. Of course the irony is that resistance to change is futile – it tends to happen whether we want it to or not, so to embrace it and work with it makes more sense as it places us in a position of empowerment. To resist and retreat leaves us the victim, powerless and without a voice.

So, this past few months have given each of us an opportunity to go deeply within to face those things about us that we don’t like, ignore or that we find too painful to access. Pluto has helped us to see that unless we face our true selves, we cannot move forwards. Pluto has helped each of us to take hold of our inner strength, and to embrace the inevitable changes that we all face.

The past few months have been challenging as the sheer pressure and force of the release process has been hard to handle at times. Many of us have felt overwhelmed most of the time; and under-whelmed the rest of the time. Not sure about you, but I have longed to simply feel whelmed!

The effect of retrograde Pluto has helped each of us to go within and connect to the true core of who we are. Pluto has helped us to be aware of our true calling, and our true power.

Pluto is the catalyst, he may be challenging, but he is absolutely necessary. He cannot be ignored, and this retrograde phase has been testament to that…

Now Pluto is moving direct, his energies will burst forth back out into the world around us, giving each of us a chance to explore the ways in which we can express our true natures in the world in which we live.

Those of us who have faced our fears will now start to feel stronger and stronger, and for those who stayed in ostrich state? Well, Pluto won’t give up, that’s almost guaranteed; he will continue to chip away until each of us reaches our true core and have become ‘baggage free’ for it is time to travel lightly now. Pluto wants each of us to be free, to stand in our power and to fulfil our true potential.

So expect a surge of energy over the next few weeks once Pluto gets back into the swing of things again. And combined with other planetary movements over the coming weeks; more and more awareness and clarity is likely to come forth.

Thursday, 9 September 2010

Retrograde Jupiter moved back into Pisces on the 9th September, joining Retrograde Uranus who moved sign last month. These two planets are once again building up to another powerful conjunction on the 19th September.

Jupiter is the planet of wisdom, growth, expansion and abundance. Over the past weeks, whilst in Retrograde, we have been turning our focus within to understand, embrace and to honour the wealth and abundance that resides there.

Whilst in Aries, Retrograde Jupiter was the fire in our bellies, giving us a strong sense of adventure and new beginnings. There was a real awareness of the beginnings of forward movement in our lives. Yet, before this truly has the chance to get off the ground, Jupiter dips back into Pisces for a spell of reflection and self-honesty, before things really start to move forwards again by the end of the year.

So, now is the time to honour the abundance within, and to be appreciative of all that we do have in life. We may not have everything we want, we may see our lives as far from perfect, but the more we can appreciate even the little things we do have, we can begin to honour ourselves and ultimately attract more abundance (of all kinds) to us. Remember, like attracts like – positive thoughts feed positivity, negative thoughts feed negativity.

The mighty Jupiter is now giving each of us the chance to contemplate our paths ahead in order to be absolutely clear about what we want to achieve and how we want to achieve it. Each of us may have many goals and dreams, but it is time now to focus on what’s truly important and life affirming, and to have faith and self-belief to step into the unknown.

Jupiter is about adventure, growth, expansion, wisdom and new beginnings, yet in order to truly grow and become wise, we need to push our boundaries, to step beyond our comfort zones and to explore pastures new.

So many of us, remain paralysed in indecision in life, unable to follow our dreams through fear of letting go, taking a risk or walking away from something familiar. Yet, this leaves us feeling somewhat empty and unfilled as we long to walk our paths and live our dreams. It is hard to walk away from routine, regular (although unfulfilling) work and income, and familiar friends and environment.

Yet, we walk our paths in life alone, each of us are unique Beings, with unique goals and aspirations. To live life as a sheep following the flock because that it the easier and ‘safer’ choice is an option, but Jupiter now wants each of us to go within to realise just how much potential resides there.

Jupiter is asking us to awaken from the slumber of routine and familiarity, and to have the courage of our convictions to take that first step towards our dreams. There are no guarantees in life, and so success is not inevitable, but when we see the world through Jupiter’s eyes and realise just how much we have in life even when we are not ‘living our dreams’, we see that the word ‘failure’ loses its power and even if we do not achieve the success we hope for. By taking that chance and stepping into the unknown, we have moved ever closer to our dreams, aspirations and freedom of Spirit.

Sunday, 5 September 2010

It has been a couple of weeks since I last posted on the blog. The main reason for this is a spell of retreat and contemplation; reflecting on life, the universe and most things in between (well, that’s what Libran’s tend to do!).

This summer has been somewhat intense and challenging for so many of us, our paths have been littered with challenges and issues to resolve. Maybe one of the strongest themes is connected to ‘going with the flow’. Whilst we may know how we want to move our lives forwards, we have to wait for the right time, and trying to push ahead against the current will only exhaust and frustrate us (and not to mention create anxiety and panic within some).

Yet, going with the flow is much harder than it sounds. How many of us can truly let go of the steering wheel of our lives and trust that the current will carry us to where we need to be? How many of us can stop thinking, analysing and trying to understand the meanings of our experiences rather than just simply being in the moment? How many of us continually berate and beat ourselves up for not being better or doing more? And how many of us stay paralysed in indecision, because we cannot be sure which is the best path to follow as we cannot know what lies ahead (and wait for a guarantee to land in our laps)?

Surrendering to the flow of life is not about giving up but it is about having faith, belief and trust. Once again though, just how easy is it to live these qualities with the worries of day to day life all around us?

In many ways, the need to surrender or ‘go with the flow’ goes much deeper than the realities of our physical worlds. It is about our cores, the centre of our being, that place deep within where our ‘higher selves’ reside. Our higher selves are wise and removed from ego and the stress of day to day life. In this place we can release conditioning, negative thought processes and trauma, and feel truly free and alive.

Once we can truly go with the flow at this place deep within, the stress of our physical realities becomes far less stressful and infinitely more manageable. In many ways, our perspective shifts enabling us to see life differently and to realise that we can find paths of far less resistance in life if we believe that they exist.

One of the biggest pressures that many of us place on ourselves is the need to succeed and the need to be great. We are all great, but the pressure that drives so many of us is the drive towards perfection. Of course, working towards perfection is part of the human condition, but it is the journey that is far more important than the destination. Perfection is possibly never achievable as we all continually strive to move goal posts and to keep reaching for something more.

So, what should we strive towards? Maybe it should be simpler and more tangible? Maybe we should simply strive to be the best that we can be? Some days this might parallel ‘perfection’, other days we might fall far short of this, but if we are truly being the best that we can be, surely it doesn’t matter?

By being the best that we can be and going with the flow (trusting, believing and having faith) we start to let go of the stress, anxiety and worries that we all carry around with us like a large rucksack full of rocks bearing down on our shoulders. We start to feel more flexible and freer to live, breath and exist.

In this powerful space within, our lives fall into sharper focus. Un-important goals slide away and clarity allows us to see how we can progress in life. Those guarantees we seek seem less significant as we can ‘feel’ or intuitively know that we are on the right path, making the right decisions. In short, the forces that create stress and anxiety lose their power as we reside in stillness, peace, clarity and faith.

So, by taking a step back, going within and surrendering to the flow; we can each start to regain a sense of balance, harmony and focus in life...

Friday, 20 August 2010

Time and Permanence. Both seem hugely important now, and have both featured on the Blog this week. Why?

The summer of cosmic highs and lows has been quite a roller coaster ride for so many of us. Some have faced emotional upheaval, some have faced physical fatigue or illness, some have faced mind-based confusion, and others still have faced spiritual upheaval and shifts. Of course, there are also those of us who have faced all four!

Digging deep within to the dark recesses, nooks and crannies, it seems clear that everything within us is seeking the Light now; it wants to be felt, witnessed, experienced and acknowledged. This is hard for so many of us, but at the same time there is a strong sense that this is cathartic and necessary for us to be free of the ties that bind us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

For too long, many of us have felt trapped within our bodies and our lives have been dictated to us through the constraints placed upon us. Realising that we are not the sum of our physicality opens each of us up to the infinity of the Divine, of love and of the Universe.

At the same time, we see that in terms of Time, we live in this moment, in the blink of an eye. Geologically, of course, our lifetimes (or even the time since humans first came into being), are miniscule moments on the Universal timeline. Yet, we all know that we consist of energy, and quantum physics tells us that energy can be neither created nor destroyed, and using that theory we are timeless, we are immortal, infinite. Confused? You are not alone.

Of course, when we think in terms of our existence in the Universe, we are tiny microscopic dots, but at the same time we are everything and infinite in size and potential. So, in many ways, this all comes down to how we think about our place in the big scheme of things. Think small, and we tend to stay confined by our physical limitations. Think big, and we go way beyond our wildest dreams to a life of enrichment and fulfilment.

This sounds simple, but in practice it is not. It goes beyond thinking; we have to ‘feel’ this as well, and we have to believe it and know it. Not easy on 21st Century Earth. But is that last statement really true? Does it have to be so hard? Surely it can be that easy? Maybe we complicate things too much? Perhaps we let the weight of our worries burden us and weigh us down, when we could move beyond these to a place of knowing?

This goes beyond affirmations and positive thinking, this is about positive Being, positive existence and breathing in the life force. This is about feeling vibrant, truly alive and connected with All There Is.

Our thoughts and beliefs are going through a major shift and transformation now. Despite the upheavals and struggles we face, it is time to think big, to see the glass half full, and to realise that we are vast, limitless wells of potential, love and energy. When we truly shift into this phase, our struggles and pain will start to shift and move, freeing each of us up to fulfil our destinies and to help us to embrace our infinite potential and limitless sense of Being.

It’s time to feel, believe and to live this infinity now. Once again, it does come down to choice, and we can only shift when we are truly ready. Yes, it is taking a huge leap of faith into the unknown, and yet, do we really have the option of staying put?

So, despite the state of confusion that so many of us find ourselves in now, if we can slow down and find solace in the stillness, in the peaceful moments between the confusion; we will start to connect to the infinity of our existence, and our perspectives and beliefs will start to shift... .

Monday, 16 August 2010

Although I am not a Trekkie, I found myself watching Star Trek: Generations this weekend, and the following words really struck a chord with me... (no need to worry about the plot, who the character is etc, it’s the words that are important).

Picard: 'Someone once told me that time was a predator that stalked us all our lives; but I rather believe that time is a companion that goes with us on the journey and reminds us to cherish every moment because it will never come again.

What we leave behind is not as important as how we’ve lived, after all...we’re only mortal'.

Saturday, 14 August 2010

On the 14th August retrograde Uranus re-enters Pisces. Uranus is still dancing around Jupiter (who also enters Pisces on the 9th September).

Uranus in Pisces is a familiar energy to us, after all Uranus was in Pisces for 8 years until this Spring. However, he is more energized now after a brief spell in Aries, there is more fire in his belly, a stronger sense of purpose forming.

It seems that each of us now need to truly go within to find the source of nourishment and sustenance that resides there – from our souls and our imagination. This will help us to break free from the dependency we all have on others and on the material, to a more enriched way of being.

Uranus is the risk-taker, stepping into the unknown and listening to his inner call. Risky? Yes, but he helps us to grow, evolve and develop, and we can only truly do these things when we step into the unknown, test our beliefs, test our mettle and have faith in ourselves (and in the Divine).

With the Arien fire now in Uranus’s belly, it has become time to break down those inner barriers that hold us back from reaching towards our dreams. It is time to honour our individuality and our gifts, and to realise that in order to find true fulfilment and joy, we sometimes have to step into the unknown, into the darkness in order to find the light.

When we are truly connected to our inner worlds, we feel free and alive. When we trust our intuition to guide us, and when we listen to this advice, a sense of destiny emerges. Yet when we struggle against the flow and let our heads rule, we might play safe and survive, but do our lives feel richer and more rewarding for the decision.

Uranus is a tricky chap to embrace. Risk is risky after all. In these uncertain economic times, it is hard to throw caution to the wind and say ‘what the hell!’, yet this is what Uranus is asking of us. Of course, as humans we have that wonderful option called ‘choice’, and each of us is free to decide whether to embrace Uranus and step into the unknown with faith as our safety nets, or we can ‘play it safe’ and stick to what we know – this could prove rewarding and fulfilling in itself, but only if we are not pondering the ‘if only I took a chance’ path.

If we choose to let Uranus go at this time, we need to do it wholeheartedly and with purpose!

Thursday, 12 August 2010

Just thought I would remind you that this week is the annual Perseid meteor shower (which occurs every August). It is likely to be best seen tonight. If its clear we could see lots of shooting stars, and as we have just had the New Moon, we should get a good chance of a great view (particularly from Scotland). Try to get away from light pollution to take a peak...

Wednesday, 11 August 2010

Ceres is the nurturer, her position in our birth charts helps us to understand more our motivations behind how well we care for ourselves and for others. Ceres as Mother represents housewives, teaching, midwifery, farming and care work – all core nourishing roles.

The unconditional nature of Ceres’ love is very important now, for each of us needs to love ourselves unconditionally. We need to honour ourselves (warts and all) and nourish ourselves in every way possible.

Interestingly, Ceres has been linked with psychological aspects of nourishment from relationship complexes, food complexes, and eating disorders – all of which stem from an imbalance in nurturance either given or received during those times which were particularly influential in our lives.

Despite not being on best terms with Pluto (understandably!), Ceres complements him in many ways. She helps us to accept loss, abandonment, cycles coming and going (through suffering, grief and loss we come to realise that a new cycle begins; and this helps us to develop compassion, acceptance and empathy). In addition, Ceres helps us to come to terms with death and dying – at some point each of us must descend within into that dark place where our fears reside. Ceres wants us to fully understand the process and to let go of fear. She wants us to see dying as the beginning, not the end.

As Goddess of the harvest, she teaches us key principles of sharing (the earth’s resources), living sustainably, love, compassion, ‘letting go’, the eradication of world hunger and our love for nature.

So, now is the time to think about nurturing not only ourselves, but to look outside of ourselves and to nurture all around us as well. This is not about depleting our own energy reserves, but it is about treating the earth (and all her other many inhabitants) in the ways in which we expect to be treated ourselves.

Finally, Ceres shows us that the expression of anger is extremely important – her anger drove the world barren, and unless we find channels of release for our own anger, we turn our inner landscapes barren. Letting go of this is a must if we are able to love and nourish ourselves and others.

It is important to continue nurturing and nourishing ourselves on every level of our Being. This is vital for our well-being, but how many of us actually look after ourselves that well? Some may treat the body as a temple eating well and exercising often, some may meditate and tend the gardens of their minds with love and care, and some may find ways to release stress, anger and other strong destructive emotions on a regular basis. But how many of us do all of these things?

Ceres continues to ask each of us to honour and nurture ourselves on every level and to take the necessary steps in our lives to create the Inner Utopia we each need in order to fulfil our potential and achieve our dreams. Yet she wants an Outer Utopia as well – a world balanced, in harmony, and it is up to each and every one of us to try to make a difference.

In a way, this is a time of re-birth. As we step back into the world over the coming weeks, we will begin to see more clearly our paths ahead.

This may feel like a huge undertaking, and in many ways it is. Yet it is simple – the more we can look after Number One, the more we can eat well, to get the work / life balance right and to re-focus on our priorities, the more we can address our outer landscape and collectively create Ceres’ Utopian dream...

Monday, 9 August 2010

On August 8th, Ceres moves direct in Sagittarius. Ceres is a ‘dwarf planet’ now in the same category as Pluto, Charon and Eris. Ceres is an important astrological influence, and as an energy I have been working with for many many years, she is very familiar to me.

Ceres is the Earth Mother and she represents unconditional love. In myth, Ceres, known to the Greeks as Demeter, was the daughter of Saturn and Rhea. Her sisters were Vesta and Juno, her brothers Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto. Ceres was swallowed by her father Saturn, but freed by Jupiter after his victory over Saturn and the Titans. These deities became the ruling family of ancient Greece.

Ceres lived not only in the heavens, but on the earth with humanity to whom she gave grain, agriculture, and shared with humanity the cornucopia. She was worshipped as the all nourishing mother. Ceres was very close to her daughter Persephone. Pluto kidnapped her daughter and took her to his domain – the underworld.

Ceres searched high and low for Persephone, and in her grief, the earth became barren, people starved. Pluto refused to return Persephone, and in the end Jupiter (Zeus) ordered it (somewhat ironic, as Jupiter had given his blessing to Pluto’s dark plan). Before allowing Persephone to return, Pluto tricked her into eating pomegranate seeds which made her marriage to him binding,

Ceres was furious, and the earth remained barren. In the end, Jupiter (Zeus) agreed that Persephone could spend 6 months with mother and 6 months with Pluto each year. She emerges from the underworld in the spring (new life) and descends in the autumn (land becomes dormant and barren again whilst Ceres grieves).

This is the original story of loss, return and loss. Whilst in her retrograde phase, we tend to go through an inner period of loss and return – letting go of all those things that no longer nurture and nourish us. This is to prepare us for Ceres moving direct, when we can once again step into the sunlight and breathe new life into ourselves, our paths, our bodies etc.

Saturday, 7 August 2010

The cosmic bottleneck of energies continues to ebb and flow as we experience another Grand Cross of energies involved Pluto, Jupiter, Uranus, Moon, Saturn, Venus and Mars.

The energy feels heavy and stifling, and yet there is a subtle underlying sense that things are moving. This movement is hard to detect, and the more sceptical amongst us will doubt it’s even there, but the intensity is shifting focus, and there is a stronger sense of clarity, vision and purpose emerging.

This is not a time to fight the current though; it is a time to ‘go with the flow’ and to observe the trends in our lives to see where we will soon need to make changes. Neither is this a time to charge ahead with our plans, it is a time to think, ponder, plan and to consider our options, it is a time to prepare so we can be ready to act at the perfect time.

At the same time, another theme is emerging. Each of us have our own unique paths in life, and yet, there is a sense of a convergence of ideals and dreams. Coming together with like-minded kindred spirits is important now, and each of us should be open to finding our collective of people to be with.

This is not about leaders, egos or taking control though, it about coming together in balance and harmony, to work together as one. Allowing few to dominate or lead will defeat the object – we ALL have as much to offer as the next person, and so we need to form circles rather than hierarchies, where we are all equal and share the responsibilities.

Be open to this now, ask Spirit to call your circle together – place the intent to the Universe, and allow it to happen. Be in the stillness, in the calm within.

***

So, in many ways this is still a time of treading water, of standing still – yet it is in the stillness that we can find out so much about ourselves. If we struggle, trying to get ahead, we miss the beauty of the present moment, and we miss the lessons and the insight to be gained now. ‘Going with the flow’ maybe Taoist in philosophy, but it is a philosophy that we can all do well to adopt. This is not about giving up, for surrendering to the flow of the Universe is very different, this is about having faith that the Universe will carry us and guide us...

Remember to listen to the stillness, and to ‘Go with the flow’. Try to ride the storm of the tiredness and fatigue that so many of us are struggling with – see it as the Universes’ way of slowing us down, helping us to let go of repeating patterns in our lives and helping us to focus on what’s truly important.

Have faith and trust in the Universe to listen, and allow your vision of your future to become clear within you, so you can be ready to make it a reality when the Universe unleashes the bottleneck of energy in the weeks to come...

Friday, 23 July 2010

Jupiter joins Uranus in retrograde as they continue their sacred dance around one another this summer. Jupiter’s qualities of growth, expansion, wisdom, abundance, luck and possibilities are being internalised to help each of us to explore our full potential and to realise just how much we do have in life. It is all too easy to focus on lack and those things we either don’t or can’t have; yet, in order to truly understand Jupiter, we need to be thankful for those things that we do have, however small or seemingly mean-less.

It is time to celebrate the abundance in our lives and to feel blessed by this. This summer is a time of great change leading towards deep enrichment and the attainment of joy; therefore we need to focus on the positive to create an ever growing flow of positivity and abundance in our lives.

Jupiter can help us to tune in to our inner resources of strength and self-belief, to bring our dreams alive and to see just how much abundance we have. The more we can focus on this, the richer we become emotionally, spiritually, physically and psychologically, and the more content we can be in life.

We are being challenged to go within, to let go of our fears, to find our inner strength, to listen to Spirit and to follow our destiny. It is time to be truly centred, to tap into that vast inner well of love, compassion and strength. It is time to not be afraid to let the world see the core of who we are, to face our fears, our inadequacies and to realise that we are all here for a reason. That reason is becoming clearer, and it will soon be time to step into the unknown, into infinity and beyond to realise our full potential. There is a choice though; the alternative is to stay put, to not take that risk, to avoid jumping into the spiritual watery depths of the unknown feet first.

The unknown is scary, and we need to have faith and self-belief to trust that we will be taken care of. There are, sadly no guarantees, but when in a place of trust and Truth, we can face challenges easier and we can deal with setbacks easier. When in a place of trust and Truth we can go with the flow and gain a clearer perspective allowing each of us to make the most of the opportunities that life presents us.

This phrase came my way a few days ago ‘I am infinite potential’. This fits Retrograde Jupiter so well. There is power in these words, and even if the true meaning is beyond knowing, the words resonate deeply. So, for the coming days and weeks use this as your Mantra:

Wednesday, 21 July 2010

Saturn moves back into Libra today, after a spell in Virgo due to Saturn’s retrograde phase earlier this year. We had our first taste of Saturn in Libra in October 2009, so this we have already felt his presence in the sign of the scales, but now we finally get to feel the full force of this mighty planet...

Saturn has over the years been given a bad reputation; he is the planet that so many people dread. He was described as the Greater Malefic – the Big Baddie, which reflected his reputation as a planet of restriction, hard work and a lack of joy. I tend to see Saturn as a cantankerous old man, somewhat set in his ways but when you look beneath the grumpy exterior there is actually a great deal of wisdom there.

The fact that Saturn is so feared has actually created the problem in the first place - fear creates fear. Yet if we see the good in Saturn, he works with us helping us to achieve our hard-earned goals. Treat him without respect and he will not support or guide.

It is a time to roll up the sleeves and get some work done, and it is time to stop procrastinating and get on with things.

Saturn is exalted in Libra, which enables this powerful planet to filter through in a balanced way. And balance is the key over the coming months – achieving balance in all areas of our lives.

The challenge is to make some decisions and to move forwards with confidence. Live in fear, and they will build up creating obstacles. So, it is time to face our fears head on and to believe in our ability to succeed. Yes, the work may be hard and a little relentless at times, but if we keep the end goal in sight, we can tap into the inner strength within to keep us going and to help us to see things through to the end.

Saturn in Libra is closely related to the drive towards perfection, this can be hard to overcome, as the reality is that perfection is difficult, if not impossible, to achieve all (or even, any!) of the time. So, there is a need to relax the ‘tick box’ a little and to take a slightly more realistic and pragmatic view of things. Try not to see those little imperfections as failures, and certainly try to avoid seeing them as a reason to reject or berate...

What also seems clear is that clearer definitions of right and wrong will once again start to re-establish themselves as individuals start to speak up for their rights and the rights of others. The division of humanity by culture, religion, colour, wealth and gender are likely to see a great shift as the collective starts to draw closer towards union and harmony. The ‘blame culture’ in which we live will start to shift towards individual accountability and responsibility once again, that is taking responsibility for our own choices and decisions.

It is a time to think what we can do for both ourselves and for others, and less so what others can do for us. This is liberating and freeing, and will help each of us to take some big steps forwards in our lives.

Saturn is likely to challenge each of us on many levels making us question our belief systems, our paths in life, our relationships and our choices. Yet, without this we are unlikely to grow, develop and evolve.

It seems clear that if we are prepared to work with Saturn, then he will work with us and support us towards finding greater inner strength and resolve, and finally feeling like we are the masters (or mistresses!) of our own destinies...

Sunday, 11 July 2010

Today is a Cancer New Moon and a Total Eclipse of the Sun (at 09.40 GMT, 09.40 BST) visible from the Southern Pacific and Southern South America. Despite most of us being unable to witness this event, it is still incredibly significant as it suggests yet another energetic shift in our lives.

Eclipses were often seen as harbingers of doom (our ancestors must have wondered who put out the Sun!), and whilst they are often challenging, they are usually catalysts for great change and movement in our lives.

This change and movement seems connected to an emotional release or shift within each of us (as the Moon is in Cancer, its home) as we journey through this somewhat tumultuous cosmic summer. Therefore each of us should try to take some time out for reflection and contemplation today. We need to let go of any emotional ‘baggage’ so we are clearer vessels to let in Light, joy and compassion.

Today is a day to honour our emotions and to allow old pain and trauma to heal. Each of us can find true compassion from our pain, and find the courage within to move through the pain to a place of true joy and strength. Of course, this is easier said than done, and some of the pain that we have experienced can be hard to release. Yet this is not about forgetting, it is about finding strength from our suffering, and being able to live in joy.

The Total Eclipse of the Sun gives each of us the chance to look deeply within as the Sun (our ego and personality) is temporarily blotted from view to allow us to look at the real core (heart) of what the Moon represents – our psyche’s and emotions. This is not something to fear, and whilst it might cause a few tears as we face up to our vulnerabilities and expose our true feelings, the more in touch with our Selves we can become, the more chance we have of living joyfully.

Of course, the polar opposite of pain is joy, and therefore as well as honouring the pain, we also need to honour and embrace more joy in our lives. We need to see more joy, and to feel confident to laugh, cry and to speak from Truth about how we feel.

Yet this is not a day for outer confrontations, it is a day for quiet reflection and inner healing. It is a day to honour our past so we can grab the present (and so our futures) with both hands, and live life to the full, exploring our full potential and allowing our own unique music (from the soul) to play loudly and vibrantly...today is a day to feel alive!

***

‘What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us’ Oliver Wendell Holmes

‘Many people die with their music still in them. Why is this so? Too often it is because they are always getting ready to live. Before they know it, time runs out’ Oliver Wendell Holmes

Monday, 5 July 2010

Uranus moves retrograde today, marking an intensification phase of the T-Square between Uranus/Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto. Uranus helps us to honour our individuality and to stand in our truth helping us to become free...

Uranus (originally Ouranus) translates as ‘the sky crowned with stars’ and this powerful outer planet represents the light of consciousness. I have written before that many of us believe that we are afraid of the Dark, and strive to be in the Light. Yet, Uranus shows us that it is more often the case that we are afraid of the Light.

Unless we are ready to receive truth, we tend to shun it or turn our backs on it (think about the torture of witches and sages throughout time). Uranus is not about judging how we deal with truth though, he simply shines a light on Truth and consciousness for all to see (only in small doses though, for the full current and power can burn and overwhelm). It is those who genuinely have their eyes wide open that can see beyond these judgements to the core of the matter, towards a state of Knowing.

Also known as The Lightning Strike, Uranus is the bringer of Truth that can strike right to the core of an issue. The lightning can bring about flashes of brilliance and insight making Uranus the innovator and inventor (look at the industrial, technological and spiritual revolutions seen since his discovery in 1781). Uranus is always looking ahead, thinking outside of the box.

Uranus is something of a free-thinking rebel who strives to be an individual and something of a cosmic hippie. He will not conform for anyone, and works towards destroying outdated and outmoded beliefs, ideologies and theories. In addition, Uranus awakens our sixth sense and gives us the gift of intuition.

Many of us fail to see the wisdom of Uranus, we simply see an ageing hippie with often outrageous ideas that we choose to ignore as they do not fit into our lifestyles. Yet Uranus is the oldest God, and without him we would not evolve, develop or grow. Without him, we would not even be aware of consciousness, energy or intuition. I guess one lesson with Uranus in retrograde is never to judge a book by its cover – stop seeing an eccentric hippy, and start to listen to what he says, thinks and does.

In other words, this is a time to embrace our individuality and to honour the hippie that resides within us all. This is not about braided hair, bare feet and lentils (although if that floats your boat, then fabulous!), this is about seeing the Truth of who we really are, seeing our own uniqueness and individuality, and having the self-belief to stand up and be proud of ourselves and our achievements in life.

Our inner hippies want us to break down the barriers within that stop us from living in Truth. Many of us live our lives with a constant flow of ‘should’s, ought’s and must’s’, which dictate our choices and our ability to follow our paths ahead. Uranus will challenge our inner dialogue to allow us to be the free spirits that we all are.

Uranus is The Fool in the tarot who needs to have faith and belief to step into the unknown to whatever lies beyond. It is time for each of us to affirm what is truly important to us and to have the courage to let go of all those things that no longer serve us. The log jam of energies in the T-Square are overwhelming and confusing, yet if we stay connected to the core of our Beings we will find strength, courage, inspiration, creativity, clarity and vision.

Retrograde Uranus is helping us to become more enlightened and more awake! It is time for each of us to re-write the stories of our lives and to be proud of who we are (warts and all!). When we stand in the full truth of who we are, we can follow our dreams and fulfil our aspirations. Nothing can pull us down when we remain centred and immersed in love.

Uranus is challenging each of us to have the courage of our convictions to honour our gifts and talents, and to step into the unknown having faith that our needs will be taken care of. Uranus wants us to see that we can find joy when we have the strength to follow our dreams.

Over the coming weeks and months (Uranus remains retrograde until December!) we are likely to see a need for change both within and without, individually and collectively. It is a time to expect the unexpected and to keep an open mind.

As for the heading ‘Lightning Does Strike The Same Place Twice’? Well, all of the challenges Uranus looks set to throw in our general directions are ones we have seen before. These will continue to rumble around and occasionally erupt until we can learn our lessons and truly become the masters of our own destinies...

So, I think we can expect the roller coaster ride to continue for some time to come...!

Friday, 25 June 2010

Well, it’s almost upon us (the 26th June) – The Full Moon, Lunar Eclipse and The Cosmic Cross. Also at this time is a Grand Kite formed between Pluto/Moon, Sun/Mercury, Chiron/Neptune and Pallas Athene (who has just moved direct).

Traditionally astrologers see Cosmic (Grand) Crosses as challenging and foreboding. I tend to view them somewhat differently as I believe that with a whole host of squares and oppositions, there is a lot of friction (energy) created, giving each of us a great deal to work with. I believe that such Crosses are great opportunities to bring about change and movement in our lives.

The Grand Kite (basically a Grand Trine – Big Triangle (three planets in trine to one another – Mercury/Sun, Pallas Athene, Chiron/Neptune) with two of the corners forming sextiles to another planet (Pluto/Moon) forming a kite shape). It is interesting that the powerful conjunction with Neptune and Chiron are brought into the mix as this is a truly important pivotal shift of energies both within and without.

Try not to worry about the shapes and patterns; it matters not if you understand the mechanics, what matters more is the ability to be still and to simply ‘soak up’ the energies. The 26th June is a day to reflect, to contemplate and to ponder our lives, the paths we have travelled so far and the journey ahead. It is a time to sort the wheat from the chaff in our lives and to focus on our true priorities.

Interestingly with Pallas Athene moving direct on the 24th June, the Grand Kite takes a strong shift towards emotional and psychological harmony and balance. The Cosmic Cross seems more focused on spiritual, energetic and material balance.

So it seems clear that the 26th June is a turning point, and is likely to see a shift within each of us. This shift may not happen in an instant, but deep within each of us, a cog has clicked into perfect alignment with our souls, allowing us to transform our lives and to truly fulfil our potential.

This is not a time to rush blindly ahead, but a time to honour ourselves and our gifts, to honour one another and to honour the Earth (and all those who dwell on, above and within her). In many ways this is a time of Being, but a time of spiritual (energetic) doing – going with the flow of energies towards pastures new in our lives.

This is a time to listen, to be open to our intuition and to be guided forwards in life. Taking responsibility for our choices, finding strength and compassion through pain, allowing the cycle of life to flow and ebb are all important steps now.

In many ways this is a re-awakening, a time of re-birth as each of us start to see the world in a new light. We see possibilities where before we may only have seen obstacles or challenges, and we see hope where before we may only have seen despair.

This is the dawning of a new era where collectively we can bring about positive change. A time when each of us can hold our heads up high and be proud of who we are (warts and all!). It is time to be individual, to be free and to have the courage of our convictions to follow our dreams. This is not about taking risks, but it is about having faith and belief.

‘It is better to have lived one day as a tiger, than a thousand years as a sheep’. Tibetan Proverb

The days of each of us staying head down in the flock of humanity is leaving now, and it is time to honour our Selves. Tigers may be endangered species, they may be hunted down and mistreated, but there is no denying their beauty, strength and courage...

Monday, 21 June 2010

The 21st June 2010 marks the Summer Solstice, and the beginning of a week of huge Cosmic shift. Also this week, we see Pallas Athene move direct, Mercury entering Cancer and the Full Moon, Lunar Eclipse and Cosmic Cross.

For today though, it is time to celebrate the Summer Solstice!

The Summer Solstice (also known as the Longest Day) is marked at the moment that the Sun enters the sign of Cancer each year in the Northern hemisphere. The Sun is at its highest point in the sky and all of nature is full of energy and growth. It is a time of abundance and manifestation – a time where nature is flourishing and ripening.

The Summer Solstice marks a time to celebrate our personal achievements. It is a time to enjoy the fruits of our labours and to find the joy and abundance within. The Sun is the life giver to our Solar System, to Earth and to each of us. The Sun represents our life spark – that little piece of light within each of us that burns brightly giving our lives joy, meaning, focus and strength.

The light within each of us glows strongly at the Solstice. It is a time to honour the gift of life and also to offer the Earth healing as well.

There is a sense of transformation around this time, a sense that we are nearer the fruition of our goals and dreams, and that these achievements can continue to flourish in the bright sunlight.

We are in the midst of a somewhat intense and challenging chapter of spiritual awakening at this time, and in some ways the Solstice gives each of us a brief opportunity to pause, reflect and to celebrate life and the progress we have all made.

The Summer Solstice is a day for coming together with like-minded people; it is a time to celebrate and to dance together to celebrate the life giver of the solar system, and the life we have within.

Many celebrate the sunrise on Solstice morning, and give thanks for the life that the sun brings. So, try to take a little time to honour the Sun, to honour the life within and the life all around. Send some healing to the Earth (if you are unsure how to do this, simply visualise a huge bubble of healing light encompassing the Earth – the land, the seas and all those who dwell on, within or above her).

Friday, 18 June 2010

Neptune and Chiron are conjunct and are both now retrograde. I touched on this a while ago, but promised more...

Neptune is in late Aquarius, and Chiron is in early Pisces, and together they are taking each of us on something of a spiritual revolution. Neptune is the planet of mystery and intuition, and Chiron is the planet of healing and also of compassion found through suffering. This conjunction is highlighting the need to go within and to find our own personal and unique connection to God or The Divine.

As unique Beings, no two people are alike, and it is therefore important to find a way of connecting to The Divine in a way that nourishes us and works for us. Following the flock or the lead of others can help, but ultimately this is our time to find our own paths.

Each of us has had pain and suffering of some kind in our lives, clearly for some this has been much more acute and distressing than others, but honouring this trauma now will enable each of us to get right to the core of our Beings, to let go of the suffering and to transmute it into compassion and love. This compassion enables true healing, and inspires each of us to help others, animals, plants, trees, the earth, spirits etc etc.

There is a great sense of serenity and peace with this conjunction; a sense that when we go within, there is stillness and quiet. If we can allow ourselves to Be ‘at One’ with this serenity, then all aspects of life move into sharper focus, and we are far less affected by the stormy seas around us. In this space, we can find great strength, resolve and determination, and somehow life starts to look more manageable, more joyful and more peaceful.

Neptune and Chiron together give each of us the gift of tranquillity, and if we immerse ourselves within this (even for a few minutes a day to begin with), inspiration and creativity start to flow as we feel ‘at One’ with the Divine, with compassion and with love.

So, this is a place to dwell over the coming weeks in order to gain a sense of direction, purpose and vision. This is the place where true abundance manifests, where we connect to our inner source of power and wisdom to guide and protect us.

When we are truly ‘at One’ with this powerful force within, we can then begin to work with our pain in a different way – to use it for healing, helping and inspiring others. We can allow our inner serenity and compassion to flow freely (for it in an infinite supply) to bring more love, understanding and joy to the world....

Wednesday, 16 June 2010

Jupiter and Uranus are now in perfect conjunction, both in Aries creating a great deal of energy and electricity. This union continues for many many weeks, dipping back into Pisces after both planets move retrograde next month, and then surging forwards again later in the year.

Jupiter is the planet of wisdom, success, abundance and expansion. Uranus is the free-thinker, the individual, innovative and rebellious. Combine these with the raw creative fire of Aries and it is clear to see why this is such a powerful conjunction!

Of course, Jupiter and Uranus form a vital piece of the T-Square (and Cosmic Crosses) this summer, it is a cornerstone of transformative power impacting all of us in quite profound ways.

The log jam of energy created by the T-Square needs an outlet, and expansive Jupiter combined with explosive Uranus (sometimes called the Lightning Strike!) seems to be that outlet.

This is a time of great personal insight, awareness and inspiration. It is a time to take back the reigns of our lives and re-focus our energies towards our dreams and goals. This is not a time for self-doubt or avoidance strategies if we are to move towards a greater sense of enrichment and abundance in our lives.

Now is the time to take responsibility for our choices, but to see this not as a burden, but as a joy. It is important that each of us become whole and complete, and honour our individuality and uniqueness. Each of us are free-spirits, and whilst life may place restraints on us, it is up to us to find our own little pieces of paradise in our lives where we can be free and joyful.

Living in the real world, it is clear to see that sometimes life can be cruel and we can become lost in hopelessness and despair. Yet Jupiter and Uranus are asking us to look beyond this, to the overflowing pool of love within, and to allow this love to heal, nurture and inspire us to reach for our dreams and to love ourselves.

As the planet of new horizons, Jupiter looks set to inspire each of us to face our fears and step into the unknown towards our dreams and goals. He is also the planet of positive thinking and wants us to believe that we can succeed. There is little room for doubt with Jupiter about. At the same time, Uranus likes the thrill of the unknown (he is represented by the Fool in the tarot, stepping into the abyss), he knows that it is only by pushing ourselves and having faith that we will grow and develop as human beings.

Uranus also has a strong connection to intuition and 6th sight, and so this is a summer to really pay attention to dreams, meditations and insights that come through. We are all sensitive intuitive beings, and by honouring this we can find tapping into that deep pool of love within easier and more rewarding.

In some ways it would be easy to assume that this conjunction is all about our inner worlds, and of course in many ways it is. Yet with fiery Aries as the driving force (before moving back into Pisces – more on that nearer the time!), it is also clear to see that this is a time of Doing as well as Being, it is a time of action and forwards movement in life.

Let the wisdom of Jupiter guide you though, for Aries and Uranus are somewhat impetuous and hot-headed. Rushing blindly ahead through impatience or through the sheer excitement of it all, may not serve us well in the long run, for this is a summer of major change, and it is important that we pause for long enough before we jump in feet first without considering the consequences.

This is not meant to stop each of us from stepping into the unknown though, but making that journey with adequate preparation, a compass, water and some basic survival skills makes far more sense than just rushing ahead unprepared and without due thought.

There is a strong sense that adventure beckons for many of us prepared to have faith and self-belief. It is time now to honour ourselves and our gifts, and to find joy in our uniqueness and beauty....

Sunday, 6 June 2010

Today (the 6th June), mighty Jupiter enters Aries. This is a powerful combination of energies which fire up Jupiter immeasurably.

Jupiter represents wisdom, abundance, success, expansion, good fortune and new horizons. Aries is the adventurer full of raw creative power, courage and ‘va-va voom’. Together there is a sense of each of us being fired up to take steps into the unknown, to have faith and to create abundance, joy, adventure and success in our lives.

For many, exploring new horizons is a fearful experience, and not something to relish; yet it is through these new horizons that we grow, develop and learn more about our Selves and our strengths (and weaknesses). With Aries chomping at the bit to push ahead, fear and caution will be hard to cling to, as Aries is the impatient, sometimes reckless force that acts first, thinks later. This does not always work out well, but over the coming weeks, there is a strong sense that each of us will have to find courage and strength within to step into the unknown if we are to truly find our ‘places’ in life and achieve our dreams.

This summer is a rocky path with so much cosmic activity around us, yet looking beyond the chaos, it is clear to see that we are each being asked to find stillness and to stand like buoys holding fast in stormy seas. Remaining in that stillness is the key to forwards movements in our lives, it is not about being passive, but rather more about not losing our heads when all about us appear to be losing theirs (thanks Mr Kipling, and not the one who makes exceedingly good cakes!).

Jupiter in Aries is an exciting opportunity for each of us to grow and expand, to become wiser and freer. Aries is the adventurer, taking risks and seeking thrills; yet with mighty Jupiter (O Wise One) in tow, the combination of wisdom and adventure, abundance and courage, it would be fair to say that the going looks good for those of us prepared to reach into the unknown and beyond.

Of course, life never carries with it any guarantees. Yet, this is a summer to grow, to achieve and to Be, and so it seems this need to explore unfamiliar terrain is a necessary part of this. Success achieved despite the challenges life throws in our direction seems somehow more rewarding and more fulfilling, as it shows us just how resourceful we truly are. So, this is not a time for doubting, but a time for wise action and forwards movement. This is a time for celebrating life...

Jupiter moves into conjunction with Uranus in the coming days, so more on this soon...

Friday, 4 June 2010

Today (the 4th June), Chiron moves retrograde. This powerful little asteroid plays an important role in our lives, yet he is still overlooked by a great many astrologers.

Chiron is the wounded healer, and in myth was an immortal wounded by a poisoned arrow (when Hercules accidently scratched him with an arrow poisoned with the blood of the monster Hydra). Unable to die to end his suffering and unable to heal himself, he instead used his pain and suffering to help and heal others. Chiron therefore shows us our own ‘incurable’ wounds or traumas and the ways in which we can use these experiences to help others.

We are all victims of pain and suffering at some time in our lives (or even past lives), and it is hard to find meaning to this pain when we are trapped in suffering. Yet, it is possible for some to look beyond this pain in order to see ways in which to transform it into something more positive. Not everyone can do this, and some traumas can cause so much damage to the soul, that it is not until a future life time that this transformation can occur.

Many of us on a spiritual path are seeking ways to find such meaning though and this is enabling more and more souls to help and heal others. Whether or not someone achieves this though should be without judgement, for it is not for us to judge others who cannot (for whatever reason) move beyond their suffering, and of course sometimes fate does not allow for this to happen.

Back to Retrograde Chiron. Over the coming weeks, each of us will be shown the roots of our painful experiences to help us begin to understand our deepest motivations and the reasons behind the choices we make in life. Chiron wants us to realise that some of our hurts stem from our own attitudes and choices, and that there are times when we need to take responsibility for this. Chiron is not about blame, but he is about facing up to things, and sometimes self-honesty is one of the hardest things to do.

There is a strong sense that Chiron wants us now to acknowledge our pain, our trauma and our choices and to heal the roots of these within us. It may not be possible to cure these, but through healing we can begin to move beyond the pain towards more meaning and the ability to help and heal others.

Faith is key here, as it is our beliefs that see us through the pain, and help us to find ‘meaning’ to our suffering. Yet sometimes it can be hard not to ‘blame’ God for some of the suffering we either experience or witness. Life can be hard and life can be cruel, these are simple facts, but Chiron instils within us the capacity to find hope where previously we have only seen despair.

Chiron is the true force of compassion; he can take us beyond self-pity and beyond blame to a place where we can truly be at peace with our suffering. Compassion means ‘to feel with’ and this is the crux of healing - the ability to heal others and experience true compassion only comes through our personal experiences and pain. This is not to say that we have all experienced immeasurable pain in our lives, but we have all lived, we have all experienced life and it is through this, that compassion grows.

Retrograde Chiron now wants us to face our inner wounds, our inner damage and our life-changing experiences, in order to tap into the healing force within us where compassion flows. Chiron wants us to move beyond blame to a place of strength and power within.

Chiron is currently conjunct Neptune (also retrograde) and this combination takes the need to go within much deeper still. It is as though we are going through an intense phase of spiritual re-awakening in order to tap into the wisdom, compassion, love, joy and strength within. (More on this conjunction soon).

So, over the coming weeks Chiron looks set to push us towards more self-honesty, a close look at our own attitudes and beliefs as well as opening us up far more to the power of compassion that resides within us all...

About Me

I am a writer and spiritual counsellor.I have spent my life offering inspiration, insight, personal empowerment, healing, life guidance and spiritual advice to others.
I am also disabled and living with numerous long-term health issues. Over time, I have found inspiration from my pain and ill-health and this is reflected in my writing.
I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (Hypermobility Type), PoTS, CRPS and Fibromyalgia to name but a few. However I am not my conditions!